Accord BioPharma Announces New Executive Leadership in Commercialization and Marketing

DURHAM, N.C., March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Accord BioPharma, the U.S. specialty division of Intas Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. focused on development of oncology, immunology, and critical care therapies, announced today the hire of several key members of its leadership team: George Esgro Jr. as Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations; Kayla Williams as Executive Director of U.S. Portfolio Strategy and Commercial Development; Nuvan Dassanaike as Senior Vice President of Digital and Marketing Strategy & Operations; and Paul Purdy as Vice President and Head of Market Access. 

"I am pleased to welcome George, Kayla, Nuvan, and Paul to the team. Together, these team members offer a unique blend of seasoned experience with fresh, entrepreneurial thinking essential to driving innovative, patient-centric solutions in the U.S. pharmaceutical market," said Chrys Kokino, President of U.S. BioPharma at Accord BioPharma. "As we seek to improve treatment adoption, adherence, and outcomes, I am confident that with this team in place, we are ready to provide great value to our stakeholders and patients." 

George Esgro Jr., a seasoned pharmaceutical industry veteran with experience across various companies including GSK, Amgen, and Roche, joins Accord BioPharma from Ashfield Healthcare, where he served as President of Global Business Development. Prior to Ashfield Healthcare, George worked at Quintiles (now IQVIA) in various commercial roles, where he provided strategy and project oversight as Vice President, General Manager of Commercial Operations, and Strategic Accounts for Commercial North America.  

With more than 12 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Kayla Williams joins Accord BioPharma from Mylan, where she developed international commercialization strategies for biosimilars in oncology, immunology, and endocrinology. Kayla has held various commercial roles with responsibilities including insights & analytics, launch management, forecasting, strategic planning, and portfolio analysis. Her skill set spans multiple verticals in commercialization, including performing in-depth product assessments, formulating pricing strategies, coding and reimbursement, U.S. commercial channel strategies, and developing strategies across market segments. 

Nuvan Augustin Dassanaike brings more than 19 years' experience in marketing and digital transformation at global life sciences organizations including Mylan, GSK, ZT Bio Pharma (GNC), and Abbott. Through his digital marketing, innovation, and customer experience leadership, Nuvan has contributed to gains in revenue streams and capturing market share in therapeutic areas such as oncology, respiratory, CNS, and gastroenterology. 

During his 30 years of market access experience at companies including GSK, Amgen, and Agios, Paul Purdy has led teams for both market access and sales. He has launched more than 18 products across therapeutic areas such as oncology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, and rare diseases. At Accord BioPharma, Paul will lead a team focused on obtaining access across the payer, distributor and GPO customer channels. 

"This leadership team is one built from trusted professional relationships, shared expertise, and a desire to evolve existing treatment options to improve the entire experience for patients, caregivers, healthcare practitioners, and others involved in the healthcare journey," said Kokino.  

About Accord BioPharma 
Accord BioPharma, the U.S. specialty division of Intas Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., seeks to provide affordable, accessible, patient-centric therapies in oncology, immunology, and critical care. With a focus on improving the patient experience, Accord BioPharma goes beyond the biology of medicine to see disease from the patient's perspective and develop high-quality therapies that impact their lives. The founders of Accord BioPharma have dedicated their time, passion, and resources to focusing on specialty care and treatments, proactively developing better ways of working, and delivering enhanced therapies. For more information, Visit AccordBioPharma.com. 

Contact:
Nuvan Dassanaike
Senior Vice President Digital and Marketing Strategy & Operations
Cell: (412) 553-9955

SOURCE Accord BioPharma